Lawrence police identified the men as Bronson Lee Standlee, 18, of Oklahoma, and Cory M. O'Conner, 29, of Indiana. Their bodies were found in a wooded area just north of the Amtrak station.

At 3:05 p.m. Friday, officers were notified of the deaths at a well-known campsite for local homeless people east of the Riverfront Mall. No signs of foul play were found during Friday's investigation, police said.

The autopsies are complete, police said, though investigators are waiting on toxicology results for additional information.

I do get a little tired of the defense of personal choices based on weather or not one's mother loved them enough. Unless one truly believes that the dog is speaking to them and they must obey the dogs' commands, then one could have a defense of their personal choices. Until then make better personal choices.

Nobody knows the whole story about these people. Maybe they weren't homeless...the article doesn't state that they were. Yeah, they were camping in a place where homeless people frequent, but we don't really know what the circumstances of these two men were and it's unlikely we ever will. So cut it out with the assumptions, and have a little respect for the dead.For those of you who look down your nose at the homeless, you have know idea how easy it is to fall down into that void. Sh!t happens, and it could happen to you, despite how smart you think you are.

"Some people actually have to deal face to face with the homeless population in our lovely little town and rarely is it an enjoyable experience. They spit at you, curse, beat each other up, pass out in alley ways, streets, parks, church steps, almost always with a bottle of booze on or near them. They pass out on Mass St sidewalks after urinating and vomiting on themselves. They flat out scare some people. Obviously not all of them are bad but many of them are. They are a menace to society."Hrmm... just a side note.... I've seen quite a few STUDENTS "spitting, cursing, beating each other up, passing out in alley ways, streets, parks, church steps... almost always with a bottle of booze on or near them... " I do believe I've seen this as MORE of a problem amongst college students... At least homeless people aren't adding to it and getting into cars to drive to another party spot... or another bar... just to hit pedestrians. Though none of it's right... and neither is pointing fingers as to who does what. why/when/yadda yadda. When it's all said and done, everything becomes the problem.It's all wrong. Just get along. You choose to live in Lawrence, this community of "love" and "acceptance". Get over yourselves and come together. Or fend for yourselves... Don't dish out your ignorant perception of what "should be" on an LJW blog. If you don't like having homeless people or reckless people or any people around, go somewhere else. I wish everyone that knew Cory the best, as my wishes are with all of you as much as I hope they're with me. I know this is hard to accept, and really hope things somehow come together for all of us. I'll be seeing you all soon.

I'm just imagining how different the responses to this article would be if instead of implying homelessness, they talked about how they lived nearby, how their roommates didn't know why they didn't come home that night, etc. Tell the truth, LJW. Tell about the empty space left in a home on Connecticut street now that one of these young men is dead. Quit hinting that these guys lived in a tent. Show a little decency and pride in your reporting skills. Tell the TRUTH.

Good comments, Pywacket.A very high percentage of homeless folks have an underlying mental illness, which they often self-medicate with whatever drug is available. I wonder if it wasn't the amount of whatever drug they used, but the composition of the drug. Maybe it was just bad stuff.I

so good to see so many people with such deep caring! You all must have known these two men very well! I hope you all can muster up one breath of beauty that would even begin to match up to the immense beauty that my friend held. He never judged. So there you go. You have a superior being to yourselves that you judge as sub human. Now it is too late for any of you to know my friend and that is a shame. It is a deep loss for you. And him gone is a deeper loss to me and so many more. Every one of you, plus me, can only hope we touch so many lives with light and laughter. Yes, Cory was a brilliant person. Who's heart and smile were as big as the sun!! Well said. my whole family, plus his WHOLE family, plus so many more are mourning him. He was one of my most favorite people. He will be one of the most missed people in our lives.

biggunz (Anonymous) says: The path to homelessness described as "sh!t happens"? Maybe that nonchalant attitude is part of the problem for some people.It wasn't meant to be "nonchalant." It's true! Sh!t does happen! And it often happens to good people.

Escapee (Anonymous) says: This person, whether 'homeless' or not, lived too short a life. Drugs kill. So does alcohol. My sympathies are with all of you, his friends. No one - 'good', 'bad', or otherwise - ever deserves to die. What a stupid thing to say. May he rest in peace:.Newsflash! EVERYBODY is going to die whether you like it or not. Do you think you are God or something similiar?Your statement is pure ignorance.

LJW encourages this type of dialogue, otherwise they wouldn't allow random postings on these types of stories. It's kind of Jerry Springerish. What good does it do? The KCstar is the same way but even they shut off the comments from time to time.

I only knew Corey for a short time. He had beautiful tye-dyes made for the band "Cosmic 1 Trio" to sell in my store. We had a wonderful show with Cosmic 1 Trio Saturday nite at my shop that was dedicated to Cory. I regret that such emphasis has been made on the homeless people in the tents in the backwoods. Cory was NOT homeless. He was a wonderful young person that I got to know and cared about. He was never out on the street begging for money, etc. You people that think you know everything about the homeless know nothing! just words-- Please don't put down a human life just because he was in a tent etc etc--If you don't know the person you should just keep your mouth shut and pray for him and his family for their loss. Cory was a wonderful kidpeacesherry

Sorry libs, can't side with you on this one. Contrary to popular belief, there are work opportunities out there. Most of them require a drug screen so I guess that would have ruled these guys out. But who's fault is that?

This person, whether 'homeless' or not, lived too short a life. Drugs kill. So does alcohol. My sympathies are with all of you, his friends. No one -- 'good', 'bad', or otherwise -- ever DESERVES to die. What a stupid thing to say. May he rest in peace....

For all cory fans-- looked to us like he was homeless in tent on river in weather that wasn't the warmest looks like someone that didn't have a home. My comment to you is why didn't you give Mr. Great a place to live.

"This has been... about some people who were punished entirely too much for what they did. They wanted to have a good time, but they were like children playing in the street; they could see one after another of them being killed-run over, maimed, destroyed-but they continued to play anyhow. We really all were very happy for a while, sitting around not toiling but just BS-ing and playing, but it was for such a terrible brief time, and then the punishment was beyond belief: even when we could see it, we could not believe it.... Drug misuse is not a disease, it is a decision, like the decision to step out in front of a moving car. You would call that not a disease but an error in judgment. When a bunch of people begin to do it, it is a social error, a life-style. In this particular life-style the motto is "Be happy now because tomorrow you are dying," but the dying begins almost at once, and the happiness is a memory. It is, then, only a speeding up, an intensifying, of the ordinary human existence. It is not different from your life-style, it is only faster. It all takes place in days or weeks or months instead of years. "Take the cash and let the credit go," as Villon said in 1460. But that is a mistake if the cash is a penny and the credit a whole lifetime...."

Ok Lawrence Libs....go ahead and tell us all about how troubled these guys were and how everyone here needs to "show some compassion". I'm sorry but I have no sympathy for jobless bums who choose to do drugs and guzzle alcohol rather than work. That's YOUR problem if you disagree.

I no longer live in Lawrence, and I'm glad about that. I'd thought it was a nice, quaint little place to live -- but I don't ever recall encountering such a large percentage of negative people as I did during my time in Lawrence. And I also can't recall any place that has had such a constant influx of 'homeless' people. 'Homeless' people come to Lawrence looking for a 'quaint, nice place to live' just like I did. Only I could afford to live in a big, fancy schmantzy house on the west side of town. That doesn't mean I can't understand nor empathize with homelessness. Much of 'homelessness' has to do with mental illness. They are looking for safety too.I recall vividly being downtown one night with my (then) three teenage daughters. In the winter, near Christmas -- bitter cold. After shopping at the local trifecta -- Abercrombie, Gap, and American Eagle -- we stopped into Starbucks for a warm up beverage and to wrap up our evening. A young man with a good, warm coat and gloves with a large backpack came in. He sat near us in the back of the store. He was clearly sick. Sniffling, and coughing, and eyes that looked dead. As a mom, I looked at him like he was a sick child. At one point, he took a few things out of his pack, went into the bathroom and must have 'washed up'. Still coughing, still sniffling. He was 'homeless'. Just sat there. No coffee. No book to read. Just sat there. Staring down at the floor.As we went to leave, my daughters walked toward the door. I told them I'd be a minute. I dug out some money (the amount isn't important) and asked him if he knew where he could get medical help. He said 'Yes, I do -- but I don't need this much money' he said, 'I can get some medicine for about $10'. And he handed me back the money. I said, 'Have you eaten?' and 'Do you have a warm place to sleep?' He stuttered and nervously said 'thank you' as I stuck the money back in his pocket. I said 'Promise me you'll get something hot to eat and maybe a bed for just tonight.' Again, he said 'thank you, thank you'.I didn't know this guy from Adam. But he didn't smell like liquor. He was clearly sick. And it was cold. My guess is he was mentally ill, and/or down on his luck. Any of us could/might be this guy. It is our responsibility to care for these souls. They are our 'neighbors'. But there is -- without question -- an element of Lawrence's homeless who are simple parasites. I have much less sympathy and feel strongly that Lawrence caters much too much to keeping them in their parasitic phase. They need to be job trained and put to work. Not jail, not a free bed in a shelter, and no handouts to keep them hanging out in Lawrence. The police know the difference in these two groups of folks. And they should be allowed to separate the 'harmless homeless' from the 'hateful homeless'. Until they start doing something...Lawrence will continue to be the best stop on the gravy train....

Let's all make sure we never take a drug, legal or not, take a drink of alcohol or smoke a cigarette. The vigilantes will be out after us. Is there some test we have to pass to gain access to their oxygen? Don't ever sit in a tent, even in your own back yard. And watch your backs at all times. I'm disabled, should I be shot? Then again, I can write a complete sentence and usually spell correctly.I sincerely hope that the children of these negative posters are never caught in any of the above scenarios. Will they wipe them out as worthless trash? Ah well, I've never been perfect, arrested, used illegal drugs or slept in a tent. I did smoke years ago. Maybe I'm safe from their hateful comments. But then, I did disagree with them so probably not.

The bottom line is that nobody with the exception of the poster whitecho knew these guys at all. Hell he might have even had nothing more than a cursory knowledge of the one young man. That being said going to the extreme of giving every benefit of the doubt to their situation is no less extreme than not being willing to give any.

OK, I just couldn't get past Mike's comments at the very top of this thread. Having a younger brother who is a recovered drug addict, it completely incenses me when I hear that sort of mean-spirited ignorance. I almost wish Mike would inadvertently become addicted to pain meds so he would know how ignorant his statements are. My brother has now been completely drug-free for over two years, which is phenomenal for him. He is now living a happy and fulfilling life. To call him a drag on the oxygen supply is one of the most ignorant things I've ever seen anyone say on this forum. So we can assume that all drug addicts live happy and fulfilling lives and would want nothing else than to get their fix? Only if you're mad as Mike.

knew cory. was a good guy. organized a skateboard jam at the park here in L-town in april 07. just because he wanted to. talk trash if you like. but like looking in a mirror, it just reflects who you are.

"I'm sorry but I have no sympathy for jobless bums who choose to do drugs and guzzle alcohol rather than work."How about some sympathy just because he was HUMAN?You have no idea if he was a jobless bum or if he was a consistent drug user or what even happened. You are making assumptions based on where he was found. That is what pywacket was objecting to.

"Lawrence - 27 square miles of "better than you" surrounded by Kansas. Pathetic"Pathetic is you taking a small number of people from an internet forum and applying your opinion of them to the entire city.

Is it just me, or are there a lot of folks who woke up and found P in their Post Toasties? How many of the posters actually KNEW the young men? My guess is , not many. And yet they seem to get really worked up about things they obviously do not truly understand. How many of us imbibe alcohol? Or smoke? All poisons. Slowly killing ourselves even though we know. And still some of you will still hope to have people say how great they were and how much they'll be missed. Poor sots. You knew substance would take you someday, but you/we continue to use. At least these guys got all their dealings done all at once. To all you negative posters...PP on your graves you soul-less mutants.

Red Devil, I lived at Sally's for six months so I feel that I know the homeless pretty well. I know that some of them were working every day and saving money to get an apartment. The SA would keep the money in a safe for them, and give them a breakfast and a lunch to take with them. They would make sure their clothes were washed and clean when they went to work. It was hard on them because they had to sleep in the gym with others who had slept all day and wanted to stay up all night and make noise. I have watched the monitors, those who watched over us at night, take food up to those too drunk to pass the test and see that food thown on the ground. Watched them reply with compasssion and kindness. I know of others than myself who now have homes because of people who did not give up on us.I pray that everyone will find peace of mind and the will to change.Lord, forgive us our traspasses as we forgive others.

i kind of hate to partake in this trash. however,Cory was the love of my life. Why people feel the need to comment on the deathsof people they do not know blows my mind. I would NEVER comment on ANYONE's deathexcept that i needlessly feel the need to defend this one.I've never witnessed as much love as i've seen burstingout of cory on a daily basis.i'm sorry that some of you have no love in your heart at all.i wish you could at least find some respect for those of us who are grieving. which is a LOT of us.

"Pathetic is you taking a small number of people from an internet forum and applying your opinion of them to the entire city."The sad thing is that people from out of town / out of state read the comments on this website (presumably made by Lawrence residents) and, lacking any other source of information, form an opinion about the city from those comments. And it's likely not a very good opinion.

Wow. I'm really frustrated with the LJW for continuing to emphasize that they died in a well known camping place for homeless people when at least one of these men was NOT homeless. WAS. NOT. HOMELESS. He lived in a house, with lots of other people, on Connecticut street. I work with one of his roommates. Geeze, LJW. Of course people are going to leave horrible ranting comments about the homeless when you imply that these guys were homeless.

"Wow. I'm really frustrated with the LJW for continuing to emphasize that they died in a well known camping place for homeless people when at least one of these men was NOT homeless. was. not. homeless. He lived in a house, with lots of other people, on Connecticut street. I work with one of his roommates."squishypoet- Thank you for continuing to point this out. He lived with me a couple of years ago before meeting his current gf and living at the house on Connecticut. I worked with him at the Dillons on Mass... that's how we met... At his JOB. At my JOB. We then became great friends and proceeded to move into an apartment together. Not the streets... an APARTMENT. Not to mention he had consignment work with a lot of local places in Lawrence. So to anyone saying he was a worthless bum etc. stop judging. Don't base your view/opinion of people on LJW's headlines. Maybe you should stick with tabloids... And on another note... Wow... So many of you think you're pretty clever, or cute, or funny... I'm not exactly sure what it is that makes you decide to come and waste your time blogging about someone you DIDN'T EVEN KNOW. I could say something heartless and rude like "I can't wait until it (something tragic) happens to you.", but unlike a lot of you I'm not small minded OR small hearted. Time for a cliche saying here... "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all." ... But really guys... do you think these two really deserved to be alive any less than those of you saying random BS about people you know NOTHING of?? Go out and do something with your lives... Something other than deciding if someone else's death was well deserved or not.

Into the hovels of the poor,Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks:"I've had enough; I'm on my wayTo heal the ache in the heart of the wretched." Psalm 12:5Know the truth and the truth will set you free.God is with us, if we are with them.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilSef9kJa:Everyone has a story, if you didn't know them or their story, how can you justify a negative comment? And who are you to judge? I can't say what I would do if I were walking in their shoes. I would like to say I would choose differently, however at that point would I possibly be thinking too highly of myself? I don't know what choices I would make had I been given their plight. What are you doing to make this life better for others...not just yourself? How sad we live in a society that seems to rotate around self.

But, really. If at any time I decide I want to quit my job, vacate my apartment, and travel, that is my prerogative. And it's none of your bloody business. And it certainly doesn't make you better than me.

How pathetic that some posters are so quick to condemn people they've never even met. It must really be something to be so perfect that you can sit in judgment of others. Personally, I am a flawed and imperfect human being who has made mistakes in my life. Perhaps not the same mistakes or choices as these two young men, but does that make me better than them? Not in the least. It makes me lucky, perhaps, but certainly not better. I knew Cory and for a time considered him part of my family. I welcomed him in my home and in my sister's life and I saw what a talented and big hearted person he was. When he smiled, you couldn't help but smile, too. Was there darkness lurking on the edges of the bright light that seemed to emanate from him? Yes. He fought hard to keep it at bay but in the end succumbed to it, and the world lost a beautiful person that day. To assume he was a homeless, unemployed druggie is ignorant and hurtful to those who knew and loved him. And what if he had been? He was still one of God's children and his life had just as much value as anyone else's. Shame on those who posted negative comments when a life has been lost, when family and friends are mourning, when a tragedy has occurred. I hope you never experience loss and then have to read such hateful, thoughtless comments from complete strangers.

To madmike and all you other hate spewing idiotic sorry excuses for humans-i hope your venom spitting helps you sleep at nite. Cory is my brother, also a human being. How dare you judge him. Our family is here from Indiana grieving his passing. Friends all over the country are also grieving and reading these comments. Have some respect. If he lived in a fancy house next door to you, would it have made it a tragedy then?? Just because he was found in a tent doesn't mean he was homeless. He was a wandering soul who loved to travel the globe, a kid from a small town in Indiana, with a mother, a father, brothers, etc that loved him. A tragedy is a tragedy no matter where it occurs or how it occurs, so do us all a favor-keep your negativity to yourselves.

Whew, for a second there, it felt like someone had sucked the wind right out of me... then I realized it was just madmike taking the oxygen from those less fortunate than him and giving the surplus only to righteous individuals like himself. Redistribution of oxygen is what it is. But seriously, I think some people on here are pathological haters.

good day persnickety, self- righteous, right-wing lawrence. May i first start off with the fact that one of these two men lived with me. I'm highley disappointed in not only the investigation of these untimely passings but also the reporting. The lack of research before throwing the homeless label on these two gentlemen is concerning. Corey had more motivation than anyone I have met to date just because he applied it in a different manner than most (ie: making art, making sure others were taken care of, keeping our house sparkling clean,and generating an all over positive mood with no judgement in any sense of the word) does not mean his character should be on the chopping block for public persecution.for all of you who knew coreywell you knew corey, so dance.all of you who "waste oxygen" and time posting cruel, uncultivated things about these two young men who have lost their lives shame on you. i hope you find out what compassion is someday.

I grew up with Cory and his family.. They all are very intelligent people with a big heart.. Cory loved building things.and helping others out. I can see him helping to build the wooden shelters( that they are tearing down at the camp site.). It really hurts me that others thought he was homeless. They just assume since he was camping there, he is with out a home. People wonder why the world is the way that it is..

I grew up with Cory O'conner as a kid he was just a really good person. He had a beautiful smile and treated everyone with respect. He was a good very well liked kid. After school lots of people lose touch and most did with him. He leaves behind a 2 brothers and his parents I believe. He wasnt the kind of guy that you would think you would hear about dying in a tent of a drug overdose. His family are also very good people. I really hate the fact that this day in age we can get on a computer and pretend that we have a clue about someone and what they were going through. That we can tear them down and forget that they are leaving people behind that love them very much that may read this. I did alot drugs and drinking growing up and came out the other side of it. I could have died plenty of times from being wreckless, but luckily I didnt. I have a wonderful life, a great kid and family. I was lucky to get my life turned around. What if I had died? Would I be a piece of crap for making a decision that was wrong. People need help sometimes and he obviously did. You can sit behind a computer and tear him down but how many of you would help someone like him to have what we all want, happiness.....a life..... Or maybe a chance to look back and say man I could have died doing what I used to do but now I have a family and I have become a better man. People are sooo judgemental, but what would happen if someone you loved had a problem. Would you be sitting behind a computer spewing hateful messages about someone you dont even know you would help them. If you say no you wouldnt then you are exactly what is wrong with this world.

where to start? Let me first say R.I.P. to bronson and cory, Lovin' you guys. Now am i really reading this, and you people live in lawrence, and all this time i thought i lived in a good place. for all you right winged johnson county folk, go back home this is not a damm bedroom community for inhumane, closeminded, republicans. And further more not one comment has mentioned bronson i know some of you folks know both of them i dont know if the folks who posted did, but if you did wtf, Honestly i feel kind of awkward talking about my deceased friends to all of ya'll ignorant folks out there, you dont even deserve to know who they were, so iam goona make this short but i have lived with bronson in a HOUSE and he was a relatively close friend of mine whom i deeply regret not getting to know better. and he was deeply loved by many. Bronson has a big heart. Has as in he is still with us and might come find some of you inhuman folks and lovin' ly smack you across the face with some spice and send you to hyperspace , only to humble you of course. I'am not even goona touch the homeless comments all i could say is THAT YOUR MISINFORMED by these uh...whom...or whatever posted these oh so credible posts. Cory i didnt forget you either, i didnt know cory so much as i did bronson but i saw him around town and hung out for a bit at the rainbow gathering that was in wy this year. but he was also a badass guy with a big heart well i dont really know what else to say . Lovin' you bronson and cory and of course lovin you family,